People Partner

Burgess Hodgson; Canterbury; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension provision

Professional development support

Wellbeing-related benefits

Job summary

Burgess Hodgson is seeking an experienced People Partner for an HR advisory role, working with a varied client base. The position is on-site with client visits and involves advising on complex HR matters, including ER cases, with emphasis on practical, well-documented guidance.

The role requires a minimum of five years’ HR generalist experience, strong employment law awareness, and confidence speaking with business owners and directors. On-site visits and regular client meetings are expected.

Qualifications

• Minimum five years’ generalist HR experience with ER casework.
• Strong employment law awareness and ability to advise on complex matters.
• Excellent client-facing communication with business owners and senior stakeholders.
• Experience supporting SMEs and multi-client advisory work.

Responsibilities

• Advise clients on day-to-day and moderately complex HR matters.
• Manage ER cases with escalation as needed.
• Draft client-ready HR letters, policies and guidance.
• Attend client meetings and onsite visits when required.

Skills

HR advisory

ER casework

Client facing

Employment law

Tools

HRIS

Microsoft 365

SharePoint

Workflow trackers

Job description

Ready to become the HR expert business leaders rely on? Solve real people challenges and make an impact for a varied client base.

• Salary £50,000 - £65,000, depending on experience
• Full Time, Permanent
• Onsite, with client visits as required
• Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.30pm

As our client’s HR Advisory service continues to grow, they are looking for a People Partner to join their developing HR Advisory team. This is a client‑facing role for an experienced HR professional who enjoys practical employee relations work, clear advice‑giving and helping business owners manage people matters with confidence.

You will advise a varied client base across retained, PAYG, project and People Partner Programme work, balancing commercial awareness with safe, well‑documented and proportionate HR advice. The role will suit someone who is confident speaking directly with clients, including business owners, directors and senior stakeholders, and comfortable attending client meetings and onsite visits where required.

About the role

You will be supported by the HR Support team with administration, document preparation, trackers and workflow coordination, allowing you to focus on advisory judgement, client communication, case direction and project delivery. Alongside day‑to‑day advice, you will also help identify where additional HR support, project work or wider advisory services would add value for clients.

What you will be doing

• Advising clients on day‑to‑day and moderately complex HR matters, including disciplinary, grievance, capability, absence, flexible working, family leave, probation, performance management and routine redundancy issues.
• Managing complex or higher‑risk ER cases with appropriate support and escalation.
• Gathering facts, identifying risk and explaining practical options before recommending a clear next step.
• Drafting and reviewing client‑ready HR letters, process plans, advice notes, meeting scripts, policies, guidance and employee relations documentation.
• Liaising confidently with clients, including business owners, directors and senior stakeholders, building trusted working relationships through clear communication and timely follow‑up.
• Attending client meetings and onsite visits where required, including for onboarding, fact‑finding, HR audits, project work, employee relations support and relationship management.
• Working collaboratively with HR Support, Senior People Partners and the wider HR Advisory team so that advice, records and client delivery remain consistent.
• Identifying opportunities for additional HR support, project work or wider advisory services where this would add value for the client, and supporting agreed project work such as HR audits, policy reviews, people plans, client onboarding and service improvement activity.

What our client is looking for

• Minimum of five years’ generalist HR experience, including strong ER casework experience and practical employment law awareness.
• Confidence handling complex ER matters and knowing when to elevate for senior, legal or specialist input.
• Strong client‑facing communication skills, with confidence liaising directly with business owners, directors and senior stakeholders.
• Commercial awareness, scope discipline and the confidence to identify where additional HR support, project work or wider advisory services would add value.
• A collaborative approach, with the ability to work well with HR Support, Senior People Partners and the wider HR Advisory team.
• Strong organisation, confidentiality awareness and confidence handling sensitive client and employee information appropriately.
• At least three years’ HR consultancy, outsourced HR, professional services or multi‑client advisory experience.
• Experience supporting SMEs, professional services clients or clients across more than one sector.
• Experience delivering project‑based HR work, policy reviews, people plans, client training or HR audits.
• Experience using HR software, HRIS platforms, case management systems, shared mailboxes, Microsoft 365, SharePoint, workflow trackers or document libraries.

In addition to salary, the successful candidate will receive access to our client’s employee benefits package. This may include pension provision, professional development support, wellbeing‑related benefits and other benefits, with full details confirmed as part of the recruitment process.

Other suitable skills and experiences may include:

HR Business Partner, HR Consultant, Employee Relations Manager, Senior HR Advisor, People Advisor, HR Manager, Outsourced HR Consultant, ER Consultant, HR Project Consultant or People Partner.

Applicants must be authorised to work in the UK. No agencies, please.